A novelty from breeders that managed to fall in love with gardeners - tomato "Chocolate Miracle": reviews and photos of the harvest

For a long time, tomatoes were considered inedible and even poisonous. But today even the very names of some varieties say otherwise. For example, Chocolate Miracle tomatoes. How did a tomato get its name and do tomatoes really taste like chocolate? Read about this, as well as about the rules for growing a variety in our article.

Description of the variety

The tomato is medium early, ripens within 60 days. Suitable for both greenhouse conditions and open ground. The yield is high, especially if you form the bush yourself. The variety loves mineral and organic fertilizing.

Distinctive features

Bushes "chocolate" in growth reach about 1.6 m and 1 m in open ground. Despite its compactness, require a mandatory garter to support and remove shoots. Be sure to prepare the seedlings before planting.

Characteristics of tomatoes and productivity

The weight of one tomato is from 250 to 400 g. The color is dark red, brown at the base. The shape is rounded, slightly elongated. The pulp is juicy and sugary, there are few seeds. The skin is smooth and thin, which is why tomatoes cannot be stored for a long time. With proper care, the yield is high, with 1 square meter gardeners collect about 6 kg of juicy tomatoes.

How to grow seedlings

Let's consider step by step how to properly prepare and plant the seeds of the Chocolate Miracle.

Seed preparation

You can buy seeds in two ways: "from hands" from familiar gardeners or in a store. By purchasing seeds in the store, you are buying high-quality material that has already been disinfected in advance and protected by various viruses and microbes.

If you take the seeds "from hand", things are a little different, since you cannot be completely sure of their quality.

To protect vegetables from possible diseases and problems during growing, we recommend:

• soak them in solution potassium permanganate;
• dry in a dry, light place;
• place in the freezer for 10 hours for hardening;
• process the material with "Fundazol".

Important! If you are unsure about seed quality, use growth promoters. They will help the first germinate faster and enrich them with vitamins. Succinic acid and "Etin" preparation show excellent results.

Tank and soil preparation

Some advise you to buy ready-made soil in the store. But you can prepare the land yourself. This will require land from your garden, humus, peat and sawdust. The main thing is to carry out disinfection after mixing the components.

For example, freeze the soil several times in the freezer. Or use biologics such as Glyocladin. When using it, pay attention to the expiration date and recommendations for use.

Experienced gardeners advise using peat cells as a container. They are made from environmentally friendly materials, are inexpensive and easy to use. If this is not possible, then you can plant seedlings in flower pots or wooden boxes.

Landing

Make sure the container is dry and clean before planting. Pour the prepared soil into it up to the middle of the pot. Make grooves 7-10 cm apart and place a seed in each. Sprinkle with earth on top and compact slightly.

Pour with warm, standing water and cover the container with cling film. Remove it after the first shoots appear.

Growing and care

The most important thing is to observe the watering regime and maintain the required temperature. Water the seedlings 10 days after planting. For convenience, use a pipette - so the watering will be spot-on and unnecessary moisture will not get on the leaves. The ideal temperature should be at least 20 degrees.

Choose the lightest and warmest place in your home to store your seedlings. If you put it on a windowsill, then avoid drafts. Organize the first feeding after 20 days. A solution based on wood ash is suitable for this. Then feed the seedlings every 10-15 days, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers.

Important! To prevent the plants from stretching and overgrowing, water the seedlings less often and lower the temperature by a couple of degrees. Also use Athlete, which will make the seedlings chunky and powerful.

How to grow tomatoes

The key to a good harvest is proper planting and adherence to crop care tips. Consider further what you should pay special attention to.

Landing

In the fall, prepare the ground: dig up the garden, burn all the garbage, add a layer of humus to fertilize the soil. In the spring, you just have to dig up the beds again so that the earth is saturated with oxygen.

Tomatoes are planted densely, the distance between the bushes should be about 40-50 cm.Immediately place a wooden peg near each of them, to which in the future you will tie a vegetable... Once all the seedlings are in the beds, water them with warm water. The next watering should be done only after 8-12 days.

Important! Don't plant Chocolate Miracle after potatoes or tomatoes. The risk of contracting infections is high. The best predecessors are courgettes or peppers.

Care

Watering should be uniform and regular. The interval between them is about 7-10 days. Salad varieties have a tendency to crack, so be careful with the amount of water. Focus on the weather - if the summer turned out to be rainy, then reduce the amount of watering.

The chocolate miracle forms stepchildren, which need to be removed periodically. If the shoots are longer than 4 cm, cut them with scissors, and if they are shorter, remove them with your bare hands. Also, do not forget about the weeds that fill the beds. It is advised to remove weeds every 10 days.

In the spring, the variety needs nitrogen fertilization. For example, in saltpeter or urea. In the future, the emphasis is shifted to complex fertilizers: Azofoska, Kemira, calcium nitrate. Fertilize the Chocolate Miracle until harvest.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

For tying, we advise you to hammer in the stakes with a zigzag and pull the twine between them. Thus, the first bush is obtained from one side of the twine, the second from the opposite. As a result, each bush will be pressed on both sides with twine and will not fall. You can also use a simple garter to the stakes, but then you will spend many times more time and effort.

In addition to the garter, pay attention to the feeding. Do not allow an excess of nitrogenous substances in vegetables, otherwise they will crack and lose their taste. Chemical abuse is also contraindicated.

Diseases and pests

Aphids cause serious problems with growing tomatoes. The insect attacks the stems and leaves of the bushes, disrupting its metabolism and taking away the plant's nutrients.

For prevention, purchase a soap solution in advance and treat the plants with it. For convenience, use spray guns.

Important! In addition to aphids, tomatoes attack the whitefly, Colorado potato beetle, and spider mites. To combat them use Bordeaux liquid solution... Carry out the final processing at least 2 weeks before picking the tomatoes.

Due to improper care and high humidity, the vegetable is sick with late blight or apical rot. Phytophthora easy to recognize by white bloom and brown spots, and black spots on the tips - signs of apical rot.

In order to prevent disease, carry out prevention in advance. To do this, periodically spray the beds with ash or garlic solution. Eggshells and onion skins are also excellent remedies.

The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse

It is not difficult to create favorable conditions for tomatoes in a greenhouse. If the air temperature is more than 29 degrees, ventilate the room and reduce the amount of watering. Since the beginning of June, indoors, the Chocolate Miracle is watered every 3 days, from August to September - every 6 days. The best time for glaze - morning or evening.

Important! For greenhouse tomatoes, drip irrigation is ideal. It is beneficial not only for vegetables, but also for gardeners, because much less water is spent. The droppers are staggered.

When growing the variety outdoors, do not forget to remove the lower leaves after the vegetables appear. The latter take juices and nutrients from the bush, which is why the tomatoes lack the strength to develop.

If there is enough sun in your area, then just leave a few top leaves. There will be enough shade for the bushes. By August, pinch the stem near the bushes. This will keep the plant strong to form juicy vegetables rather than growing further upwards.

Harvesting and application of the crop

Harvesting begins in early to mid-August. It is not necessary to wait for a mature color; you can also pick vegetables at the stage of milk maturity. Slightly unripe tomatoes will take on a reddish-brown hue in 2-3 days. Vegetables harvested on time allow you to get the maximum yield.

For faster ripening, they are stored in a bright and warm place. If you want to slow down ripening, then place the tomatoes in a cool and dark place.

The chocolate miracle is a salad variety, so it is actively used both for preparing vegetable salad and for more sophisticated recipes. In addition, the variety is excellent in fresh form, contains a large amount of sugars and vitamins B, A, C. Serves as a natural antioxidant, improves mood.

For canning, the Chocolate Miracle is not suitable because of its thin skin and large size. It is best used as an ingredient in side dishes or soups.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The strong characteristics of the variety include:

• juicy taste;
• original appearance;
• high productivity;
• immunity to diseases and pests;
• the ability to grow in any climatic conditions.

Cons of the variety:

• the formation of bushes is required;
• thin skin and, as a result, short shelf life;
• not suitable for whole canning.

Farmers reviews

Experienced gardeners share on Internet forums different opinions about the chocolate miracle tomato.

Elizaveta, Yuryuzan: “I live in the Urals, so I cannot boast of ideal conditions for growing vegetables. However, the tomato really turned out to be a real "miracle"! I gave a lot of harvest, the taste of vegetables is just excellent. Planted in a greenhouse. The vegetables ripened together. "

Maxim, Bataysk: “I didn't like the chocolate miracle. There was a lot of rain in the summer, maybe that's why most of the tomatoes are cracked. I bought seeds in a store, the result does not match the picture on the package at all. I doubt that I will plant more. "

Maria, Samara region: “I love unusual varieties of tomatoes. So I liked the Chocolate Miracle. I am planting the third year. They are unpretentious in care, they form few stepsons. I like".

Conclusion

The variety is good because it is planted both in the open air and under a film or in a greenhouse. The rules of care are not particularly different from caring for other tomatoes. The main thing is not to overmoisten the beds and fertilize in time.

Even at the seedling stage, it is worth treating the seedlings with Fitosporin. The drug will have a preventive effect, protect against frost and pathogens.Chocolate miracle is great for salads and other dishes. I wish you rich harvests!